Latin America's right-wing swing looms large over nature summit

COP17 is a United Nations summit about biodiversity, or the variety of living things and ecosystems. It is taking place in Yerevan, Armenia, and runs until October 30. The meeting matters because countries must decide how to keep a major global nature agreement alive.

Nearly 200 nations made a historic pledge at the 2022 biodiversity summit. They promised to halt and reverse the destruction of nature by 2030. COP17 is meant to address the slow progress since that agreement. Countries are under pressure to salvage the landmark pact and move from promises toward implementation.

The political setting makes the task harder. Several Latin American governments have shifted right and may give greater priority to resource extraction. Brazil's election is especially important because Brazil strongly influences negotiations among developing countries. The summit's outcome will therefore depend not only on formal commitments, but also on whether governments continue acting on them afterward.

The article describes Latin America as a biodiverse region but does not provide a percentage. Established global estimates commonly place about 40 percent of the world's biodiversity in Latin America and the Caribbean. That makes political choices there important far beyond the region itself.

The Amazon is especially significant. It is often estimated to contain about 10 percent of all known species, including extraordinary numbers of plants, animals, and microorganisms. Its forests also support Indigenous communities and remain central to debates over deforestation. These figures explain why protecting the Amazon has global importance.

The source focuses on the political risk rather than measuring biodiversity. It warns that governments may prioritize exploiting natural resources over environmental protection. If major countries in this region weaken conservation, the effects could undermine international efforts to halt nature loss and address climate change.

Brazil is one of the most influential countries in international environmental diplomacy. A French diplomat told AFP that its environmental policy carries a lot of weight in negotiations and in coalitions among developing nations. The election therefore affects more than Brazil's domestic forest policy.

The contrast is clear. Under Lula, Amazon deforestation fell sharply, reaching its lowest level in nearly 40 years from August 2025 to July 2026. Flávio Bolsonaro has criticized the “radical environmental agenda” and promised a “Bolsonaro 2.0” presidency. He has also pledged to end illegal deforestation by 2029 and call the environment a strategic asset.

That mixed message leaves international partners uncertain. A new Brazilian government could weaken or strengthen efforts to meet biodiversity and climate commitments. The decisive period may come after COP17, when Brazil's election result shapes its negotiating positions and domestic implementation.

Recent political changes have shifted environmental priorities across Latin America. Argentina elected climate-sceptic libertarian Javier Milei in 2023. Chile's far-right president, José Antonio Kast, halted dozens of environmental protection decrees after taking office in March. Colombia elected far-right politician Abelardo de la Espriella in June.

Their approaches differ from the previous governments' stronger environmental stance. De la Espriella supports fracking, while Colombia's earlier government hosted a conference aimed at moving the world away from fossil fuels. Colombia also organized COP16 in 2024. Chile's halted decrees show a direct rollback of protections rather than an expansion of them.

The broader pattern is a preference for using natural resources to develop economies. This contrasts with earlier regional efforts to protect ecosystems and curb climate change. Colombia's deputy environment minister says the country will still pursue a fossil-fuel phaseout, but he stressed that “reality” must be considered.

The global pledge aims to halt and reverse nature's destruction by 2030. Nearly 200 nations backed it at the 2022 biodiversity summit. Its success depends on governments converting that shared promise into laws, funding, enforcement, and practical changes in how land and resources are used.

The article says governments have been slow to act. That delay threatens the agreement's credibility. If influential countries instead prioritize resource exploitation, they may weaken protections, avoid difficult reforms, or reduce pressure on other governments to comply. The pledge could survive formally while failing in practice.

COP17 is an effort to salvage the landmark pact. Political shifts in Latin America make that harder because the region previously supplied ambitious voices and compromise-seeking participants. If those champions disappear, negotiations may produce weaker action, and the 2030 goal could become increasingly unreachable.

Indigenous territories are important because they can keep Amazon forests protected from clearing, illegal activity, and resource exploitation. The article connects their future directly to forest protection. If these territories remain protected, they can resist pressure to open forests for development.

Marinete Tukano, who coordinates the Union of Indigenous Women of the Brazilian Amazon, warned about a possible far-right government. She said it might not see Indigenous territories as protected places, but as places to open and explore. Her concern identifies the key mechanism: changing land policy could remove barriers to extraction and deforestation.

The article does not provide a separate measurement of how much Indigenous territories reduce illegal deforestation. It does show why Brazil's election matters to forest defenders. A government that treats territories as safeguards could support protection, while one that promotes exploitation could make illegal deforestation harder to stop.

Biodiversity means the variety of living organisms, including plants, animals, microorganisms, and the ecosystems where they interact. Climate change means long-term changes in climate patterns. They are not the same problem: one centers on living variety and ecosystem health, while the other centers on changes in temperature and weather.

They are closely connected. Destroying forests reduces habitats and can drive species loss. It also releases carbon and removes ecosystems that help regulate the climate. Climate change can then put additional stress on species and ecosystems. This creates a damaging cycle, even though biodiversity and climate policies have different goals.

The article discusses both issues through deforestation, fossil fuels, and resource extraction. Latin American governments have been important voices on biodiversity and climate change. The 2030 nature pledge addresses nature loss, while efforts to phase out fossil fuels address climate change. Protecting ecosystems can therefore support both agendas.